Ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets



T. H. WEBSTER AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRBTS 4 Sheets -Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 14, 1925 T. H. WEBSTER AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS Filed S t, 14 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1717/6 r o r.- .amn/KEMW? Dec T. H. WEBSTER AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TUHRETS Filed Sept. 14. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Dec. 15, 1925- 1,565,837

T. H. WEBSTER AMMUNITION SUPPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRE'IS Fil d t, 14 5 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

THOMAS HERBERT VIEBSTER, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

AMBIUNITION SUEPLY APPARATUS FOR GUN TURRETS.

Application filed September To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOLAS HERBERT \Vnns'rnn, of British nationality, and resid ing at London, England, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Ammunition Supply Apparatus for Gun Turrets, of which the following is a specifica tion.

The subject of the present invention is an improved apparatus for receiving ammunition from a shell-room or magazine and transferring it to a turret trunk, the apparatus being of that type comprising a track surrounding the turret trunk, on which track travel one or more trolleys or trucks for conveying the ammunition from a stationary platform or the like to a hatch in the turret trunk, there being arresting means at the platform and at the hatch for locking the trolley of trolleys temporarily in position.

The apparatus of the invention includes as an essential element a continuously circulating traction member which follows the contour of the track and from and to which the trolley or trolleys is or are automatically uncoupled and recoupled in the operation of the apparatus.

The circulating traction member may be a continuously rotatable ring concentric with the turret trunk, to which ring the trolley or trolleys may be coupled directly, or may be in the form of a flexible band or the like following the contour of the track and driven, for example, by a rotatable ring.

Thus, a przu-tical embodiment of the invention applicable to the case where the shell room hatch is adjacent to the turret trunk includes a circular track surrounding the turret trunk and passing close to a stationary loading platform on which are placed shells received from the shell room hatch, and a ring rotatably supported by the track, to which ring the trolley may be directly coupled by means of a dog adapted to enter any one of a circular series of notches or interdental spaces or the equivalent in the ring.

According to a modification applicable to the case where the shell room hatch is at some distance from the turret trunk, the track is partly concentric with the trunk and joins more or less devious curved paths to and from the shell room hatch. A rotatable ring concentric with the trunk is in 14, 1925. Serial No. 56,325.

driving relation with a flexible travelling band which is constrained to follow the devious curved paths and which is adapted to be gripped by jaws carried by the trolley.

The invention further comprises features of construction of the trolley hereinafter more fully described.

Illustrative examples of the application of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figs. 1 and 2 are views of the first example in elevation and in plan, respectively, and Figs. 3, 4. 5 and 6 fragmentary views to a larger scale; Figs. 7 and 8 views of another example in elevation and in plan, respectively, Figs. 5), 10, 11 and 12 fragmentary views of this ex ample to a larger scale and Fig. 13 a view of a detail also to a larger scale.

The form shown in Figs. 1 to (5, is applicable to the case where the shell room hatch is adjacent to the turret trunk.

As shown, the track, which consists of two guide rails 1 and 2 encircling the turret trunk 3, passes immediately in front of the stationary loading platform 11. Movable along the track are projectile-carrying trolleys 6 having wheels 7 and guide rollers 7 Sustained by ball bearings 5 for rotation relatively to the track is a toothed ring ongaged by a driving pinion 9 on a shaft 10, the shaft being journalled in bearings on the platform 11 if the ring a is exterior to the track (as in Figs. 1 and 2), or mounted in the turret trunk (see Figs. 2, 4t, 5 and 6) if the ring 41- is interior 'to the track. On the upper edge of the ring 4 are teeth 12. ()n the underside of each trolley is pivoted on the fulcrum pin 16 a lever 15 at the end of one arm of which is a dog 13 cushioned by the spring 1% and engageable in any of the interdental spaces of the upper edge of the ring i. 011 the end of the other arm of the lever 15 is a follower or roller 17 which engages with a cam track 18 carried by a second lever 19 which is pivoted at one end to the under side of the trolley. An uncoupling and arresting lever or bolt 20 at the end of which is a stop finger 21 is pivoted within the turret trunk 3 adjacent to the loading hatch 22 in such position that movement of the lever 20 about its pivot causes the finger 21 to enter, or be withdrawn from the path of the trolley, so that when entered into the path of the trolley the finger 21 will be encountered by the free end of the lever 19 as the trolley moves around the track. The lever 20 carries, in addition to the finger 21, a spring-urged catch 23 which is adapted to enter into engagement with a notched plate'24 securedto the underside of the trolley. A lever 25, pivoted at one end to the fulcrum pin 16 of the lever 15, has a lug 26 the curved face of which is held in rolling contact with the face of a similar lug 27 on the lever 19 by a link 28. A second uncoupling and arresting lever 29 similar to the lever 20 is pivotally mounted at the loading platform 11 (for the sake of convenience this lever 29 is shown in Fig. 4: as being in HCiZlOllfSlIlltlltaneousl'y with the lever 20 although this could not occur in practice owing to the limits imposed by the. trainin angle (73, see 2). This lever 29 has at its end a finger 30 adapted to be encountered by. the free end of the lever. 25 and also carries a springurged catch. 31 adapted to enter into engagement with a notched plate 32 on the trolley. Towards the. rear of the trolley is fitted a springbuifer 33 the plunger 34: of which is adapted to engage the rear edge. of the lever 25. Extending beyond the trolley in a forward direction is an endwise movable plunger 35 hearing against the fore edge of the lever 19.

In operation, the shaft 10 carrying the pinion 9 in mesh with the teeth 8 on the ring 4: is driven continuously by any convenient means, imparting continuous rotary motion to the ring. 4. VVhen the dog 13 enters one of the. interdental spaces in the upper edge of the ring 4, the trolley is engaged with the ring and propelled along. the track. For the purpose of this explanation assume that the trolley is moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig.

t and is approaching the turret hatch." When the trolley arrives at that part of the track immediately opposite the turret hatch, the free end of the lever 19 encounters the finger 21. and the lever '19 is movediangularly about its pivot. During the motion of the lever 19 the cam track 18 moves relatively'to the roller 17 carried. by the lever 15, causing the lever to move through a small angle about its fulcrum pin 16, and thereby withdrawing the dog 13 from the. interdental space in the rotating ring a. The angular motion of the lever 19 is transmitted to the lever 25 through the interaction of the lugs 26 and 27. The spring buffer 33 now comes into action, absorbing the, energy of motion of the trolley and bringing the latter to rest opposite the hatch 22. Meanwhile the notched plate 24, being opposite the catch 23, is engaged by the catch'so that the trolley is held against the reaction of the buffer Then the trolley has delivered its load, the lever 20 is withdrawn to remove the finger 21 from the path of the lever 19 and to release the catch 23 from the notched plate 24. The reaction of the spring buffer 33 now comes into operation, imparting reverse angular movements to the levers 25, 19 and 15, thereby causing the dog 13 to enter an interdental space in the rotating ring 1 which hauls the trolley along the track towards the loading platform 11. The buffer spring 14 interposed between the dog 13 and the lever 15 serves to absorb shock due to the sudden restart of the trolley. lVhen the trolley arrives at the loading platform 11, the lever 29 comes into action. The function of this lever 29 is similar to that of the lever 20 at the turret hatch, the impact of the free end of the lever with the finger 30 causing motion of the lever 25 which is transmitted to the lever 19 by the link 28, whereby the dog 13 is withdrawn from engagement with the ring a as hereinbefore described, the spring buffer 33 absorbing the energy of motion of the trolley and the spring catch 31 engagingthe notched plate 32' to hold the trolley against the reaction of the buffer; liVhen the trolley has received its load, the lever 29 is with drawn. The reaction of the buffer causes the dog 13 to re-enter into engagement with the ring 4 which again hauls the trolley along the track. In the event of a collision between trolleys when two or more are on the track at one and the same time the plunger 35 extending forwardly from the overtaking trolley receives the force of impact between the two trolleys and is thereby caused to move endwise in a rearward d irection. This motion of the plunger 3-5v im- V parts angular motion to the lever 19, thereby disengaging the dog 13 from the ring 4 as hereinbefore described.

The second example shown in Figs. 7 to 13 represents the application of a modification of the invention such as may be usedwhen the shell room hatch is at some dis tance from the turret trunk.

In this example, the track, which consists of two guide rails l and 2, partly encircles the turret trunk 3 and joins more or devious curved paths from and to the loading platform 11 at the shell room hatch. A

ring -1 concentric with the turret trunk and carried by ball bearings 5 is mounted on the track below the guide rails and is adapted to be continuously rotated by means,

similar to those employed in the first example. VVrapped. around the ring. a and frictionally driven thereby is a flexible. steel band 36 which is constrained to follow the wheeled bogies 38 and 39 which are pivoted The trolley on the under side of the body. is adapted to be coupled to the flexiblev band 36 by means of a spring-controlled frictional gripping device mounted on the trolley. The grippii'ig device (which is seen most clearly in Figs. 11, 12 and 13) consists of two more or less resilient jaws at) and 41-1. One jaw 40 is carried by a depending arm 42 on the trolley body and is adapted to bear against one side of the flexible band 36. The other jaw 41 is carried at the lower end of a lever 43 which is pivoted to the depending arm 42 and is adapted to bear against the other side of the flexible band. A spring 4A located near the upper end of the lever and in adjustable compression between the lever 43 and the arm 42 tends to move the lever e3 about its pivot, thus causing the jaws 40 and 41 to grip the flexible band 86 between them. A. lever 1-5 having a cam-faced end adapted to engage the upper end of the lever is pivoted to the under side of the trolley body and is connected by a link 46 to another lever 47 pivoted at one end to the trolley body. Mounted on the trolley body and coacting with the levers 45 and 47 pivoted thereon is a shock-absorbing spring bufi'er 33, a forwardly projecting plunger and a notched plate 32 the functions of which will be readily understood from the description of the first example. An uncoupling and arresting lever 20 functioning in like manner to the similar lever 2-0 in the first example is located at the turret trunk loading hatch 22 and an uncoupling and arresting bolt 20 is located at the shell room loading platform 11.

In operation, the ring l is continuously rotated and drives the band 36 around the path of the track. So long as the gripping device is in operation, the trolley is hauled along the track. IVhen the trolley arrives at either the loading platform 11 or the loading hatch 22, the free end of the lever l? encounters the uncoupling and arresting member 20 or 20 and the lever 47 is thereby caused to move angularly about its pivot. This angular motion is transmitted through the link 46 to the lever 45 and the camfaced end of this lever causes the lever 13 to move about its pivot against the action of the spring 44, thereby relieving the pressure between the jaws and ll and uncoupling the trolley from the moving flexible band. The spring buffer 33 and the notched plate 32 function in like manner to the similar elements in the first example. On Withdrawal of the member 20 or 20 the reverse motion of the levers 47, and 43 allows the jaws 40 and 41 to close under the action of the spring 44 and motion is again imparted to the trolley. By altering the initial compression of the spring 4a the pressure between the jaws 40 and 41 may be so adjusted as to permit of a certain slip between the jaws and the flexible band 36 when the gripping device comes into action, thus allowing the trolley to start without violent shock.

It is to be understood that the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the precise constructions shown since many changes may be made in the form, arrangement and mode of operation of the parts, for which obvious equivalents may be substituted. without departure from the essence of the invention. For example, the means of coupling the trolley or trolleys to the traction member and the means of driving the traction member may be modified.

\Vhat I claim is 2-- 1. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination with a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, a continuously unidirectionally rotating trac tion member which follows the contour of the track, a trolley arranged to travel in one direction only on the track, and cooperating means at the platform and hatch and. on the trolley whereby the trolley may be automatically coupled to and uncoupled from the traction member on departure from and arrival at the platform and hatch.

2. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination with a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, atleast two trolleysarranged to travel in the same direction on the track, and automatic means for stopping and restarting each trolley at the platform and hatch, and means for preventing collision between two trolleys.

3. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination with a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, a continuously unidirectionally rotating ring concentric with the trunk, a trolley mounted to travel on the track, and co-operating means at the platform and hatch and on the trolley whereby the trolley may be operatively connected to and disconnected from the ring on departure from and arrival at the platform and hatch.

4. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination with a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, a continuously unidirectionally rotating traction member which follows the contour of the track, a trolley arranged to travel in one direction only on the track, a coupling member carried by the trolley, and means at the platform and hatch whereby the coupling member may be automatically en ill) gaged With and disengaged from the traction member on departure from and arrival at the platform and hatch.

5. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination with a turret trunk having a hatch, a stationary platform distant from the trunk, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, said track comprising a part concentric With the trunk and parts joining said platform to said concentric part, a trolley movable on the track, and automatic means for stopping and restarting the trolley at the platform and hatch.

6. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination With a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, a continuously unidirectionally rotating ring concentric with the trunk, a haulage member driven by said ring, a trolley mounted to travel on the track, and co-operating means at the platform and hatch and on the trolley whereby the trolley may be auto-, matically coupled to and uncoupled from the haulage member on departure from and arrival at the platform and hatch.

7. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination With a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, a continuously unidirectionally rotating traction member Which follows the contour of the track, a trolley arranged to travel in one direction only on the track, a coupling member on the trolley, and means at the platform and hatch and on the trolley for disengaging the coupling member from the traction member and locking the trolley to trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk andpassing the hatch, a

stationary platform adjacent to the'track,

a trolley mounted to travel on track, automatic means for stopping and restarting the trolley at the platform and hatch, and buffers for absorbing shock on starting and stopping the trolley.

9. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination With a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, a trolley mounted to travel on the track, means at the platform and hatch for locking the trolley to the platform and the hatch, a buffer spring adapted to be stressed when the trolley is locked, and detaining means for disabling the'spring.

10. In ammunition supply apparatus for gun turrets, in combination With a turret trunk having a hatch, a track surrounding the turret trunk and passing the hatch, a stationary platform adjacent to the track, at least two trolleys mounted to travel on the track, a haulage member for the trolleys, coupling members on the trolleys, engageable With the haulage member, and collision buffers on the trolleys operative to disengage the coupling member of one trolley on collision With another trolley.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS HERBERT IVEBSTER. 

